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Welcome to Hutchinson Community College

Physical Therapist Assistant - AAS

This program prepares students to provide a rehabilitation program designed to improve the mobility and function of patients. Graduates will work alongside physical therapists in providing rehabilitation and services for people that are dealing with an injury or disability that is limiting their abilities to work or enjoy life.

Careers

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) work as part of a team under the guidance and direction of a physical therapists. Physical therapist assistants provide patient treatments that improve mobility, relieve pain and reduce physical and functional limitations. Duties include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs to meet patient’s goals of recovery according to the physical therapist’s plan of care. They educate and instruct patients in exercise and activities of daily living, providing treatments using specialized equipment and administering modalities and other treatment procedures. PTA’s treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the aging adult, who present with medical conditions that limit their functional abilities to move in their daily lives and to return living life. Patients include those dealing with neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and integumentary conditions in a variety of settings including outpatient, inpatient rehab, long-term care, home health and school settings. Physical therapist assistants record patient responses/outcomes of each treatment and make modifications in selected intervention either to progress the patient as directed by the physical therapist or to ensure patient safety and comfort.

Accreditation

The HutchCC Physical Therapist Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: ht tp://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (620) 665-3396 or email pta@hutchcc.edu.

Hutchinson Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Contact Details

Allied Health
alliedhealth@hutchcc.edu
620-665-3579
1-888-GO-HUTCH ext. 8100

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Admission

The PTA program is designed as a 1+1 program that allows students to take general education classes prior to admission to the program which can be taken at students own pace.  Once admitted to the program, you will complete the training in approximately 12 months that includes fall, spring and summer semesters.  HutchCC PTA Program has agreements with most clinical sites within commuting distance from Hutchinson.  

Hutchinson Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Hutchinson Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (620) 665-4956 or email PTA@hutchcc.edu.

Program Details

  • Mission & Goals

    Mission

    In keeping with the institutional mission of excellence the Hutchinson Community College (HCC) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program will provide a high-quality education program that graduates individuals who are competent and qualified to assume this role within the community.

    Goals

    The HutchCC PTA program will provide to its stake-holders the following goals:

    • State-of-the-art classrooms, simulation labs, and learning resource facilities that enhance the student attainment of knowledge and skills needed.
    • Clinical sites that allow students the opportunity to acquire the competence in the daily work of the PTA.
    • Graduate individuals who can perform the technical aspect of clinical work in a safe efficient manner; who can communicate in a clear and understandable way; who conduct themselves within the ethical and legal framework of the progressing; and who embrace the value of life-long learning.
    • Employ qualified faculty and clinicians who are dedicated to providing relevant practice experiences and who remain current in the field of physical therapy.

    Philosophy

    The faculty believes physical therapy is an integral and dynamic part of health care and that the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a valuable part of the health care team.
    A Physical Therapist Assistant requires specialized skills and knowledge with which he/she is able to work in a safe, effective, ethical and legal manner under the direction of a Physical Therapist.
    A Physical Therapist Assistant should be able to not only treat the injury or illness, but also be able to show compassion and caring in interactions with patients, families, health care team, and his/her community.

    The faculty believes each student is unique related to their learning needs and potential for learning and our responsibility is to provide opportunities for students to obtain the necessary entry level knowledge and skills to be successful in a variety of settings. As licensure is required to work in physical therapy, the faculty believes the educational opportunities provided within the curriculum will prepare students to be successful on the licensure examination.

  • Program Outcomes

    The PTA comprehensive curriculum plan includes student-centered learning experiences designed to assist the student in developing terminal competencies. These experiences have been selected and organized in a logical manner allowing the graduate to function in the PTA role upon graduation.  Graduates from the program will be able to:

    • Demonstrate effective communicating skills with patients, families, caregivers and the health care team.
    • Exhibit professional behaviors and conduct that reflects physical therapy practice.
    • Demonstrate effective clinical decision making in order to implement and adjust interventions as directed by a physical therapist within the plan of care and report changes to the physical therapist.
    • Collect appropriate data to determine readiness for and response to interventions.
    • Provide interventions in a safe and effective manner as directed by the physical therapist in the plan of care following legal and ethical guidelines.
    • Document interventions and data collection findings accurately to meet the professional guidelines within the physical therapy setting.
    • Effectively educate others using teaching methods based upon the needs of the individual to include the role of the physical therapist assistant.
    • Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and life-long learning.
  • Comments & Critiques

    We welcome input from all communities in our effort to enhance the HutchCC's PTA program. As such, any community member may comment or critique HutchCC's Physical Therapist Assistant program and the program's students and graduates. Those who are not a HutchCC student, faculty or clinical educator should utilize the following procedures.

    • Comments must be provided in writing and signed by the author. Anonymous submissions nor written comments provided on behalf of an anonymous source will not be acknowledged.
    • Comment should be submitted to:

      Hutchinson Community College
      PTA Program Director
      815 N. Walnut
      Hutchinson, KS 67502

    • The PTA Program Director responds to all comments within 7 days to further discuss and resolve the issue. If satisfactory resolution cannot be reached or if addressing complaints  regarding the program director, then complaints should be submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. 
    • Records of all correspondence is maintained by the Program Director for three years.

    The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Hutchinson Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.  If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (620) 665-3396 or email pta@hutchcc.edu

  • Student Outcomes

    Hutchinson Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program Student Outcomes (For Graduation classes of 2021 and 2022)

    • Graduation Rate 98%
    • Licensure Examination Pass Rate 90%
    • First-time Pass Rate 63%
    • Employment Rate (within 6 months of Graduation) 100%
  • PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet HutchCC

Program Contact

Physical Therapist Assistant
pta@hutchcc.edu
620-665-4956
1-888-GO-HUTCH ext. 4956

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